TURO App Used to Rent the Trucks Used in the New Orleans, Las Vegas Terror Attacks Render Leads

Turo is unlike traditional car rental companies such as Hertz, Alamo, or National. It operates through a peer-to-peer model, where instead of booking a car from a company, you book it from an individual.

The Turo app has become increasingly popular since its launch in 2010. CEO Andre Hadad shared on his LinkedIn profile why he was drawn to the unique concept of the company.

He mentioned, “Turo immediately clicked for me — not only was it a marketplace, but it was a marketplace for cars. As a lifelong car enthusiast, I was thrilled to combine two of my greatest passions.” After becoming the CEO, he listed his 2006 Porsche 911 Carrera S on the platform, which remains available till today. It is the longest-standing active car on Turo, marked as car #279.

This notion of unlocking the value of something that had been locked away in a home, a closet, a garage, electrified me all those years ago, and continues to electrify me today. Marketplaces attract innovators and entrepreneurial spirits, those driven, creative minds who look at the world and see possibility rather than monolithic, unbreakable boxes. And they attract consumers who value the one-of-a-kind over the mass-produced, the unique over the generic, experience over pure utility.

It seems two terrorists took advantage of the ease of this app to engineer the attacks in Las Vegas and New Orleans. 

Officials confirmed that the car rental app Turo was used by the driver involved in the New Orleans terror attack and by the driver of a Cybertruck that exploded outside of Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. 

Here’s what the app is and what it’s used for.

What is Turo?

Turo is a San Francisco-based peer-to-peer carsharing app. Essentially, a “host” can rent out their privately owned vehicles to app users. The company started in 2010 under the name “RelayRides” but changed to Turo in 2015.

Turo differs from standard rental car services in that they neither own or maintain the cars being rented out. Turo exists just as a platform for car owners to rent out their vehicles. 

The company also has unique and specific terms of service. According to the Turo website, it offers easy 24/7 airport pickup.

Easy pickup offered by hosts at hundreds of airports across the US, UK, Canada, France, and Australia.

No lines, no paperwork, no hassle

Find and pick up the car with the app

Rest easy with 24/7 support

When I clicked on “Search for cars at airports,” It opened a page with a selection of 200-plus automobiles to choose from across the United States. It’s just that easy. You are coordinating through an app, so there is no need for contact with a human. Both the New Orleans attacker Shamsud-Din Jabbar, and the yet-to-be-identified Las Vegas terrorist used Turo to rent the vehicles used in their attacks.

In New Orleans, the attacker, identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, rented a Ford F-150 Lightning truck through the Turo app and intentionally drove through a crowded Bourbon Street, killing 15 people and injuring several others.

According to the Associated Press, a Turo executive said they are cooperating with the FBI in the New Orleans investigation. 

In Las Vegas, an unidentified driver pulled into the valet area of the Trump Hotel in a Tesla Cybertruck, also rented through Turo, Las Vegas law enforcement sources told ABC News. The Cybertruck, which was loaded with fireworks and gasoline cans, then exploded, killing the driver and injuring seven others, Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill confirmed.

Sheriff McMahill said investigators have not found any connections to the New Orleans attack from the Las Vegas incident.

From the outside looking in, I would say the connection is the Turo app, and once the authorities dig deeper into how the cars were acquired, they may end up finding more links. 

One way the app works that a rental car company does not is that Turo allows the primary driver on the rental to add additional drivers. 

To speed up the process, have your additional driver create a Turo account and get approved to drive before you request to add them. All drivers must have a valid driver’s license and meet the age requirements for the car you’ve rented. You can request to add drivers via the “Trips” tab in the Turo app without additional driver charges or extra costs.

Turo also does not offer one-way rentals. While return locations can be adjusted with the car host (car owner), the car must be returned in or around the same radius where the vehicle was picked up. I spoke with the virtual assistant on the Turo website to confirm this.

Turo doesn’t allow one-way rentals when booking. But after booking, you can request to change the return location. The new location must be within your host’s pickup radius or an approved area. Hosts have eight hours to approve or decline, and fees may apply.

Jabbar and the Vegas Tesla Cybertruck driver could have been the primary drivers on the app for their particular cars, or they could have been added on as additional drivers. Both cars were also high-end electric vehicles. If I owned such a vehicle and it was used in a terrorist attack, I would either be trying to get as much distance between myself and the actors or I would be trying to recoup my losses. 

That appears to be the case with the Ford F-150 host who rented to Jabbar.

That leaves the primary driver of the Tesla Cybertruck who is yet to be identified or named. If the Turo host has not come forward, then that leaves the possibility that they may not have been expecting to receive their car back. 

Both crime scenes are under active investigation, and the rabbit trail through the Turo app could render more tangible leads.  

You May Also Like
Chicago federal workers use lunch hour to protest ICE raids, citing safety

Federal Employees in Chicago Demonstrate Against ICE Raids During Lunch Break, Concerned for Safety

CHICAGO (WLS) — Federal workers rallied Wednesday afternoon, demanding changes from Immigration…
CNN Hardest Hit: Latest Intelligence Shows Trump Was Right Again About Iran

CNN Facing Challenges: Most Recent Intelligence Confirms Trump’s Correct Assessment on Iran Once More

On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt presented a report from…
How US adults' views on same-sex marriage have changed since the Supreme Court's 2015 ruling

How American adults’ opinions on marriage equality have shifted since the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision

WASHINGTON — For a while, it seemed like the United States was…
'The Bear' is back with more intensity, more questions and hopefully some answers in season 4.

“The Bear” returns in season 4 with increased intensity, more inquiries, and potentially some solutions.

The popular show “The Bear” is returning for its fourth season, bringing…
Chicago crime: Music producer Joshua Buchholtz says expensive valuables stolen during home invasion on West Cuyler Avenue

“Burglary at Residence on West Cuyler Avenue: Music Producer Joshua Buchholtz Reports Theft of Pricey Items”

CHICAGO (WLS) — ABC7 received exclusive information from a couple who were…
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom 'split' after seven years as insider reveals how pop singer is coping

Insider reveals how pop singer Katy Perry is coping after splitting from Orlando Bloom after seven years

Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom have reportedly split after nine years together.…
College campuses could be ground zero for Iranian sleeper cells plotting to harm Americans, experts warn

Experts Warn of Potential Iranian Sleeper Cells on College Campuses Targeting Americans

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Experts are concerned about…
Jeremy Fancher, Destiny Campos charged with murder in death of baby Brooklyn Fancher, found at Days Inn in Houston, Texas: police

Jeremy Fancher and Destiny Campos accused of killing baby Brooklyn Fancher at Houston’s Days Inn: authorities

HOUSTON — The parents of Brooklyn Fancher, a 4-month-old baby, have been…
Iran sleeper cell threat demands border crackdown | Reporter Replay

Border security must increase due to the risk of Iran sleeper cells | Reporter Recap

Iran sleeper cell threat demands border crackdown | Reporter Replay (Video) |…
They've vowed to blow America to pieces from the inside. Now experts reveal EXACTLY where Iranian sleeper agents are going to strike next... and who's really to blame

Iranian Sleeper Agents: Experts Predict Next Strike Location and Blame Game

An ex-FBI chief has cautioned that the United States remains exposed to…
'Tone deaf' Beyonce CANCELED by her own fans after wearing offensive shirt on Cowboy Carter tour

Beyonce criticized by fans for inappropriate shirt during Cowboy Carter tour

Beyonce is facing fierce backlash from her progressive fanbase after wearing an…
Barry Morphew seen for first time after jail booking, maintains innocence in wife’s death

Barry Morphew spotted after being arrested for the first time, continues to claim he is not guilty in his wife’s passing

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Barry Morphew’s lawyer has…